Vietnamese fragrant rice variety Dai Thom 8 proves superior

Dai Thom 8, also known as DT8, the salt-tolerant, high-yield and high-quality fragrant rice variety of Vietnam has made a substantial contribution to rice production picture in Mekong Delta.

Bui Quang Son, General Director of Vinarice advised farmers in saltwater intrusion-stricken areas to choose DT8 rice variety. Photo: Minh Dam.

The high-yield rice variety gains wide currency

In 2017, DT8 rice variety, which was developed by Southern Seed Corporation (SSC) - a subsidiary of Vietnam National Seed Group, was certified by Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development. The variety, thereafter, was distributed by Vietnam Rice Company Limited (also known as Vinarice) and was widely grown in Mekong Delta.

DT8 is also an exclusive rice variety and is certified to be an intellectual property of SSC. One year after being introduced, DT8 was recognized by Department of Crop Production to gain wide currency in Mekong Delta. In 2020, DT8 accounts for 26% of the country's rice export.

DT8’s popularity is attributed to its advantages, such as its strong stalks, long fragrant grains, high yields, and its resistance to disease such as rice blast disease and aphids.

According to Ylyas, a farmer in Chau Phong commune, Tan Chau town, An Giang province, DT8 can withstand numerous diseases, especially rice blast; therefore, his production cost is reduced. This explains why he strongly favors this rice variety.

It is not to mention that this rice variety boasts high yield of an average 7 tonnes per hectare. "DT8 variety produces really high yield, therefore, is in great demand in the market. In the autumn-winter crop, the strain produces a yield of 7 tonnes per hectare, and the figure can rise to 9 tonnes per hectare in the winter-spring crop”, said Tran Truc Giang, a farmer in Vinh Chau commune, Chau Doc city, An Giang province.

Another advantage of DT8 is its high quality, hence, it is often sold at a high price. The rice variety features long grains and whiteness, and the cooked rice boasts soft and sticky texture and good flavor.

According to Nguyen Van Nhut, Director of Hoang Minh Nhat Joint Stock Company in Thoi Lai District (Can Tho City) - a well-established company with over 20 years of experience in the field, stressed that DT8 is a high-end product thanks to its high quality. The firm has exported this product to several markets such as East Asia and Middle East markets, among others.

Salt tolerance of nearly 4‰

In the summer-autumn crop in 2021, several localities in Mekong Delta are predicted to face fresh water shortage and saline intrusion. In such areas, farmers’ first choice is salt-tolerant rice varieties.

Pooling results from trials, Vinarice found that DT8 can withstand salinity of nearly 4‰. For example, when being grown in saltwater intrusion-hit areas such as in Tran De (Soc Trang province) and Bac Lieu province, the strain shows its strong tolerance to salt.  It means DT8 production runs lower risks than that of many other rice varieties such as OM5451 and OM4900, especially given fresh water shortage and salt water intrusion.

Bui Quang Son, General Director of Vinarice shared that the company had advised farmers to grow DT8 thanks to its tolerance to salinity.

As the lack of fresh water and saltwater intrusion are projected to hit Long An and Tien Giang province at the beginning of March 2021, Vinarice advised farmers to prioritize to choose DT8.

Meanwhile, in Ben Tre province, farmers tend to adopt the rice-shrimp farming model. DT8 is a great choice for the province as it still can grow well in this condition, said Ngo Thanh Hong, Deputy General Director of Ben Tre Food Joint Stock Company.

From February 24 to March 2, 2021, about 2,500 farmers in the Mekong Delta provinces visited and assessed the new rice varieties of Vinarice. The event featured nearly 20 high-quality and high-yield rice varieties such as VNR 20, VNR 95, Thien Chau 16 and the likes.